“You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks!”

Let me begin by saying “You can teach an old dog new tricks.” Oh it may take awhile, years even, and there will definitely be some grumbling and complaining, but it can be done. I know, I’m the old dog!

Since we were first married I’ve gone to bed and automatically turn on the TV, always trying to keep the volume as low as possible so as not to upset the wife. Many nights I’d fall asleep with the TV on and it would remain on all night. Believe me, I’d hear about it in the morning. That problem was finally resolved when I bought a TV with a built in sleep timer, but even then there were nights I’d forget to set it or I’d stay awake past the stop time and forget to reset it, and I’d be forced to face the ‘wrath of the wife’ in the morning. Through the years I began to get better about shutting the TV off before falling asleep and have done quite well for the last ten years or so if I do say so myself, but there was still the sound issue.

About seven years ago I got smart and purchased some rechargeable wireless headphones to cut down the noise and that helped immensely. My wife finally had the silence she so desired. But then of course the light, which had never been an issue, became an issue! It’s always something. She finally bought herself a blindfold to block out the light and solved that problem herself.

Well over the past year I’ve gotten way better and actually don’t turn on the TV every night when I go to bed. At least three nights a week, rather than turning the set on, I slip on a pair of lightweight headphones or earbuds and listen to my ipod. At first I would only listen to music which was fine, but several months ago I decided to downloaded some audio books. I’d listened to them before on a couple of our flights to Hawaii and enjoyed them so I thought I’d give them a try. Now I’m hooked! in the past few months I’ve listened to several short stories by Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Ray Bradbury, as well as The Hobbit, two novels from the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher and all 7 books of the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.

"This old dog learned a new trick."

I tell you it’s a great way to fall asleep! Laying there in the dark listening and imagining. It’s like a movie in your mind. I love it! Of course a lot depends on the quality and vocal style of the person reading the story. So far so good. I only wish this old dog had learned this trick years ago, it would have saved me a lot of grief and made my wife a happy camper a whole lot sooner. And as every married man knows a happy wife makes for a happy household and a happy husband!

One Response to “You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks!”

If mama ain’t happy–then no body is happy!! I can’t stand the tv on in the bedroom–that’s why we had no tv there for years!!! Now since we’ve painted and done the floors we haven’t hooked it up again. I secretly hope we don’t: )